Settings

Please note: These are the rules for this weekend’s 2000 Series only and are NOT the Rules for the MLG Championship in Columbus. MLG will continue to test and revise the Rules, incorporating feedback from the community and Players. Official MLG Championship Rules will be released soon.

All of the required Settings are listed below. If a Setting is not listed below, it should not be changed from its default state.

The hosting team is responsible for setting up the match the correct settings and map. Starting a Game/Map with the wrong game settings will result in a forfeit for the rounds the incorrect settings were played on IF the setting affected gameplay. If a map is played out of order, then the hosting team will forfeit the map. (i.e If Octane is 3rd map and played for first map, the team that hosted 3rd map instead of 1st will forfeit 3rd map.)

General Settings

Max Health: Normal

Health Regeneration: Normal

Create Default Loadouts: None

Spectating: Team Only

Kill Cam: Enabled

Radar Always On: No

Wave Respawn Delay: None

Force Respawn: Enabled

Friendly Fire: Enabled

Perks: Enabled

Hardcore Mode: Disabled

Headshots Only: Disabled

Field Orders: Disabled

Loadout Restrictions: None

Blitz

Time Limit: 5 Minutes

Score Limit: Unlimited

Number of Lives: Unlimited

Respawn Delay: 5 Seconds

Maps

Blitz - Freight

Blitz - Octane

Blitz - Sovereign

Blitz - Strikezone

Blitz - Warhawk

Domination

Time Limit: 5 Minutes

Teams will switch sides after Round 1 and add scores together after Round 2.

Using any banned item listed above will result in a forfeit of the round(s) the banned item was used in for Search and Destroy.

Breaking of rule 3-4 may result in a forfeit of the game/map.

Party chat is allowed for this tournament.

On the Xbox 360, we highly recommend that all players appear offline. Users are not to dispute a match on purpose if the other team did not appear offline.

Random players should not be allowed into the room prior to the match beginning.

If a player lags out during the first 30 second or before the first kill the map should be ended and restarted. If a player lags out after the first 30 seconds or the first kill the map/round will continue and the player who dropped may rejoin the game. Players may not be subbed out during the middle of a map unless there are extenuating circumstances which will be determined by tournament support staff.

If a player lags out during a search and destroy game, the round in which the lag-out occurred should be played out and completed. After that round is finished, the game should be ended before the start of the next round (during intermission). It is the responsibility of the team whose player lagged out to end or leave the game after the round ends. The team that dropped the player is to be given five (5) minutes for the player to return or for a substitute to be made. The map will then resume at the point the map was ended. If the team who lost a player does not end/leave the game, and the map is completed, the scores will stand.

Any form of cheating, glitching, abusing in-game mechanics, or unsportsmanlike behavior may result in a forfeit of a Map, Match, or Ban from GameBattles. Punishable unsportsmanlike behavior includes, but is not limited to, excessive use of foul or degrading language. In addition, breaking any rule may result in a forfeit of a Round/Map, forfeit of a Match, Verbal Warning or Ban from GameBattles.

Online Tournament Staff reserve the right to stream any match in this tournament. If your team's match is chosen, you are to cooperate fully with the staff that are in your match. Any community casters that join are not to be kicked from the room for any reason.

General

Eligible for US, Mexico, and Canada Residents only. Not valid in Arizona, Connecticut, Maryland, and Quebec. Only one (1) prize per household per Tournament. Employees of MLG, the Tournament's participating sponsors and their advertising agencies, and members of the immediate family of any such persons, are not eligible to participate and win. For the complete list of restrictions/limitations, please visit the prize tab. Any team found using a restricted player may be disqualified from the tournament without a refund of credits.

Users must utilize their own unique username for competing on GameBattles. This unique username must have been registered on GameBattles personally by you the user. The registered username must contain the correct and complete Name, Address, and Email of the user. If a false Name, Address, or Email was entered, the user voids the privilege to participate in the event and or receive any prizes.

As a user, you are personally responsible for accepting any invitation to a team. If you do not personally accept a team invitation, you may be disqualified from competing. You also forfeit the ability to receive a prize.

Definition of Non-Amateurs: Players that have won a cash prize from any Online Tournaments or Ladders for the game and console on which the tournament is being held. If a player takes credits in place of a cash prize, they are no longer considered an amateur and are ineligible to play in amateur tournaments. If any player is found playing on a team that falls into one of the above categories, the whole team will be disqualified and credits will not be refunded. Anyone living in the same household as a Non Amateur player will also be considered non Amateur and are not allowed to participate in Amateur Tournaments. If someone is caught playing in an Amateur Tournament and any other accounts from that household are non Amateur the team will forfeit their match and the player will be banned along with the non Amateur account.

Any player that is currently banned for any tournament related or severe site misconduct on one account is not permitted to compete in Online Tournaments until the penalty has expired. Any player found evading an Online Tournament ban by using a secondary account will be disqualified from the tournament without a refund of the credits used for entry. If this player has played in any map/match in the tournament, that team may be disqualified from the tournament.

In game IP checks will be administered at the discretion of the Online Tournament Staff. This will ensure no one is account recovering, and attempting to play on another persons account. Anyone found to be cheating will be banned from the website. However, IP checks will not be be given after the match has been completed.

If any team fails to report an issue with their tournament match that results in their opponent being disqualified later in the tournament (i.e evading amateur status), credits will not be refunded to that team. All issues with a tournament match must be reported to tournament staff before or during the match.

If leadership of a tournament team is transferred to another member of that team, that person gives up all team editing privileges(adding/removing players, disbanding team, ect.). This includes any player/team "credit sponsors". As a warning, credits will not be refunded for any players the "credit sponsor" pays for if he/she is removed from the roster after leadership is transferred.

If you join a Tournament team from a proxy IP address, you risk being forfeited.

The rules are subject to change at any time before the registration deadline, so check them often. In extremely rare cases, rules may be altered after the tournament has started.

No changes are able to be made to any Tournament rosters (players, usernames, etc.) after registration has been completed. In general, players cannot change their Gamertags or PSNs after the registration ends. Rarely, a change will be permitted, but this is on a case-by-case basis. If there is an issue that requires a Gamertag or PSN to be changed and it is after registration ends, the player will need to submit a Ticket requesting the change. An OLT Support Specialist will review the request and decide whether or not to allow the change.

Users are prohibited from sharing account information stored on GameBattles with another person for any reason. This includes, but is not limited to the following: usernames, passwords, gamertags, email accounts, etc. If another person accesses your account, you may be disqualified from the event and removed from GameBattles. This includes giving out your password to allow others to account recover you XBL Gamertag or PSN. In the event an account is stolen, the account creator is responsibile for any lost credits/damages to that account.

Tournament bracket size and prize are subject to change based on the total number of eligible teams at the end of registration.

By registering for this Tournament, players acknowledge that they have read, understand, and agree to abide by all of the rules.

All Matches

Online tournament matches are expected to played at the default match time. For Single Elimination Online Tournaments that take place over the course of one (1) day, which are indicated in the Tournament Details under the Info Tab, times will be established by Online Tournament Staff. The matches MUST be played at the times which are indicated on the Brackets page. For Single Elimination or Double Elimination Tournaments that run over a period of day/weeks, default match times will be listed on the Info Tab. For specialty Tournaments created by the Director of Online Tournaments, default match times will be listed on the Info Tab.

We highly recommend that all players appear offline at all times during their match. Users are not to dispute a match on purpose if the other team did not appear offline. If random players enter the room, ask them to leave. If they leave immediately without disrupting the match, the match can continue. If the player disrupts the match, the match is to resume from the score at which the player(s) entered. No warm-up or practice Games are permitted once the Match’s first Game has begun. We recommend that all users use a capture card or digital camera depending on the situation to provide proof. See more details in the Proof Section.

On the Xbox 360, we highly recommend that all players set their Friends List to “Private”. Users are not to dispute a match on purpose if the other team did not have their Friends Lists set to Private.

If a match is played before the scheduled time, it will not be considered a warm-up and will count as the official scores. No warm-ups, or practices between teams are allowed during Online Tournament play.

If by 15 minutes past the scheduled Match start time a team doesn’t have enough players to play, the incomplete team forfeits the Maps they cannot play. Please see rule 7 below.

To get help with a No Show issue, you MUST contact Staff via Tournament Live Support. We must verify the No Show. To get to Live Support, click on the Support tab within the Tournament and go to the Live Support link. If no OLT Support Specialists are available, you must submit a Ticket within 30 minutes of the scheduled match time. Please include any proof that you have that they did not show. You must go into the match and select the "I'm reporting: my opponent did not show" option under Report Problem at the top.

For any allegations of cheating, wrong weapons used, glitching, etc., you MUST contact Staff via Tournament Live Support. If no OLT Support Specialists are available, you must immediately submit a Ticket along with your proof of the accusation. Glitching accusations must be supported by video proof. Video proof can be edited to include only the section where the offense takes place; however, the video MUST include the score screen at one point. Please also see rule 5 under Reporting. If proof is not included with your ticket, or the ticket is submitted too late after the match start time, the win will be decided by an OLT Support Specialist.

A team CAN NEVER start a map shorthanded in a "Kill Dependent" game mode. A "Kill Dependent Game Mode," often referred to as Deathmatch, Sharpshooter or Slayer, is a game mode whose winner is decided by the overall number of kills, or points gained from kills. Because this mode relies on the number of players present, a team can never play shorthanded when playing this mode. A team that loses a player during this game mode, after the first kill has occurred or after the first 30 seconds, forfeits that map. If teams do not have enough players to start a kill-dependent game mode, they will forfeit that map.

A team CAN START a map shorthanded unless it is for a "Kill Dependent Game Mode"(for a description of what a "Kill Dependent Game Mode" is, please see the rule above). You can only be shorthanded by one player. For example, in a 4v4, a team can start a map with 3 players. If you are missing more than one player, you cannot start a map.

Teams may delay the Match between Maps for up to 5 minutes. Teams can request that an OLT Support Specialist enforce this five minute time limit if needed.

If the Party Leader/Host wrongly ends a Map, their team may forfeit the Map.

Bracket Play

Game Types will be set for each Round of the Bracket.

After losing a Match, teams will be eliminated from the Bracket.

The Bracket default time is listed on the Info Tab for the Tournament. Matches must be played and completed at the default time of each round. Neither team can request to postpone the match. Extensions will not be made whatsoever as these Tournaments are considered lighting/speed rounds and MUST BE PLAYED on time.

If a Match is not played, and neither team submits a Ticket requesting the forfeit win, the Match win will be decided by an OLT Support Specialist.

Host

Hosting refers to the team that creates a Custom Game Lobby for each Map. The team “hosts” the Map by creating the Custom Game Lobby and setting-up the Map. On many games, the individual player that created the room also often hosts the game on his/her connection. On other games, the connection is hosted by in-game servers. Please note that the use of the term “Host” below applies to the individual that creates the Custom Game Lobby.

In a best of 3, the higher seeded team must host the first Map. The lower seeded team must choose sides on the first Map. Then, the lower seeded team must host the second Map. The higher seeded team must choose sides on the second Map. Whichever team wins the most rounds overall (or most kills overall in a team deathmatch Tournament) must host the third Map. If the rounds (or kills in a team deathmatch Tournament) are tied, the higher seeded team will host. The other team chooses sides. The Maps must be played in order.

Hosting players should create the Custom Game Lobby as this is likely to give them Host on most games. As the hosting team changes over the course of a Match, the new Host should leave the Custom Games Lobby and create a new room. On games where Host is randomly determined or is server-based, teams need to continue to create new Custom Game Lobbies over the course of the Match. Please see the rule above to determine which team creates the Custom Game Lobby for each Map.

On games where Hosting is not server-based, and Host isn't given to the player that was designated to be the Map’s Host, the Map must still be played. For example, some games randomly choose a Host, so neither team will be able to designate who the Host will be.

On games where Hosting is not server-based, teams should play a Lag Test Map, for roughly 30 seconds, to determine if the Host is acceptable. Players launch into the Map and play for 30 seconds to test the connection. If it is determined that the Host is not acceptable, a new Lag Test should be performed with a new Host. Test Maps should be played using a Game Type and Map that the teams are not scheduled to play.

All players must agree that the Host is reasonable before the start of a Map. If a reasonable Host cannot be found, Tournament Live Support MUST be used to request an OLT Support Specialist to help decide who will host the map. If an OLT Support Specialist is not available, the best Host should be used.

If a player’s connection to the Host becomes unreasonable during a Map, the Map must still be played. After each Map, either team may request that a new Host be tested, if the previous Host was unreasonable. The round/map where connection became unreasonable will not be replayed.

If a player loses their connection to the Host when the Map launches, the Map must be restarted. The player can be re-invited to the lobby.

If a player loses their connection to the Host during a Map that has a kill-dependent game mode, their team forfeits the Map. The player can be re-invited to the lobby.

If a player loses their connection to the Host during a non-kill-dependent game, the Map must continue. The player can be re-invited into the Map. If a team is already playing a player down, and a second player loses connection, the team forfeits the Map. The player can be re-invited to the lobby. In the event that it is a 1v1 and a player drops, the team that had the player drop will forfeit that Map.

OLT Support Staff

OLT Support Specialists can be contacted on Tournament Live Support to answer any questions or solve any problems your team may have during a Match. Contact information for OLT Support Specialists can be found on the Support Tab located within the Tournament. Arena Referees and Arena Administrators should not be contacted.

Only one player per team should be using Live Support for your in-game issues. Also, the player needs to stay on Live Support until someone answers the call.

If an OLT Support Specialist is called into a Custom Games Lobby, players must keep the OLT Support Specialist un-muted at all times.

Verbal and/or written abuse of a Staff member called into a match will not be tolerated. This includes, but is not limited to: Forum Posts, GameBattles Private Messages, Tickets, Live Support Messages, AIM messages, XBL messages, and PSN private messages. The individual user and/or team violating this rule will be subject to penalties. All team leaders are responsible for the conduct of the players on the team while interacting with Staff and are subject to penalties if a team member becomes abusive towards Staff.

OLT Support Specialists that enter a match have the discretion to make necessary calls to ensure the match is completed successfully. When in a match, the Staff member's call is final and must be followed. Failure to do so will result in penalties for your team. After the match, if you disagree with a call made, first you must accurately report the match and then you can submit a ticket for review by an Admin. Do not dispute the match on purpose.

Reporting

Both teams must report the Match results within 10 minutes of its completion. Failure to report on time may result in your account being suspended for 3 days.

To report the Match results, teams must report the Match Score accurately, with overall Maps won being reported. For example, maps can be reported as 2-0, 2-1, etc. Reporting the individual points/kills earned for each Map is optional.

At least one member of each team should take a Screenshot(s) of each Round’s results. Screenshots should contain the Round Score, players on each team, and a time stamp. In order to dispute a player leaving and/or an in-game glitch, video proof must be provided. The video must show the Gamertags/PSNs, Map, Gametype, as well as the player dropping or the opposing team performing a glitch.

In order to dispute Match results, Tickets must be submitted immediately following the Match. The Ticket section below provides more instructions on submitting tickets. Also, Live Support must be used for in-game issues.

If a Screenshot(s) is needed in order to resolve a dispute, it should be transferred to the user’s computer and uploaded to the user’s GameBattles profile. Videos may also be uploaded to a website. The URL for the image(s)/video should be attached to the dispute Ticket(s). You must clearly state what the issue is, the time in the video in which the issue occurred, and/or what the Admin should be looking at in the picture. For all cheating claims, the burden of proof is on the accuser.

Tickets

To submit a Ticket, click “New Support Ticket” found within “My GB” on the console navigation bar. Select category "Arena: Online Tournament", the Arena in which it occurred, and a detailed description of the issue.

When submitting a Ticket, fill out all applicable fields. Incomplete or incorrect Tickets will be closed without being processed.

Once submitted, the status of your Ticket can be viewed through “My Support Tickets” also found within the “My GB” menu.

All Admin decisions are final. After a decision has been made regarding a Ticket, additional Tickets may only be submitted if they contain new information that would affect the outcome of the match.

Tickets are handled in the order that they are received. Staff members should not be contacted regarding the status of Tickets that have not been closed.